Bulletin: July 20, 2017

These reports are from the previous four issues of the Daily Bulletin in Colfax. They are reprinted here for the benefit of Gazette readers who reside outside of Colfax. Some accounts have been updated.

SELLAND LANDS 195 LANE JOB

Selland Construction of Wenatchee was the successful bidder for the first phase of the passing lane project on Highway 195. The contract amount for the project is $3,199,999, according to a report from Al Gilson of Spokane, WSDOT spokesman for the district.

Phase one of the project is for the lanes on the south end of the 195 project with a call for bids on lanes in the north end slated for next year. The Selland contract is for new passing lanes in the Steptoe area.

Selland was one of two bidders for the Highway 195 passing lanes project.

Selland plans to begin work on the passing lane project July 31. The contract calls for one lane on the southbound side of the highway where the highway curves for the approach to the grade before the Hume Road intersection.

The lane on the northbound side will be constructed on the grade leaving Steptoe. Each of the lanes will extend for approximately one mile.

The project calls for 65 work days, and Selland crews expect to have the job wrapped up in early October.

West Company Construction of Medical Lake was the other bidder for the passing lane project. Bid opening for the project was June 7.

At a Department of Transportation open house on the passing lanes project in the public service building June 1, the project manager noted the cost of the contract for the lanes for phase one at Steptoe will have an impact on the design of phase two of the project next year. Phase two includes a northbound lane north of the Babb Road overpass in Spokane County and a southbound lane south of Plaza.

Passing lanes have been projected for Highway 195 as a means of increasing safety. Two passing lanes on the highway link between Spangle and Colfax are on the southbound side, one south of the intersection with Highway 271 south of Rosalia, and one south of the Trestle Creek Road intersection.

FIRE DEPT. FACES TIGHT BUDGET

Colfax fire department could be facing a budget bind with need to repair or possibly replace its 1979 Maxim ladder truck which failed to meet the required pumping pressure test. Also, the cost of staffing the department with part-time employees has taken a toll on the payroll budget.

Capt. Tim Tingley, who is now in charge of operations at the department, told the city council Monday the worst case scenario for the ladder truck would be replacing the engine. Estimated cost of that project would be $15,000. The truck's failure to pump 1,500 gallons per minute at the required pressure rate came as a surprise and other factors could have been the cause. The truck will undergo an engine tuneup and be tested again.

The truck also has been the subject of a state Labor and Industries complaint because it lacks cab support systems which have been required since the truck was built. Maxim is now out of business, so the department lacks a means of certification of the truck by its manufacturer. One solution could be replacing a support member in the cab and having that supplier provide the certification.

Another impact on the fire department budget was the cost of double staffing required because former chief Steven Thime was unable to become certified in Washington. Tingley said after Monday's meeting Thime was unable to transfer his certification from Colorado.

Firemen working duty shifts at the department are required to have the certification to respond to calls. Budgeting for the double staffing was anticipated when Thime was appointed chief in January, but the hangup in certification led to extended double staffing costs.

City Finance Officer Chris Mathis reported the fire department's budget entry for part-time staffing was depleted in May.

APARTMENTS SALE TOPS $50 MILLION

Sale of two apartment complexes in North Campus Heights in Pullman totaled $51,050,000, according to a real estate tax affidavit filed June 5 in the county treasurer's office. The sale was for apartments at NW Terre View Drive and 1405 Merman Drive. The units are known as Campus Commons North and Campus Commons South.

The apartments were sold by CT Pullman 334 LLC to N.B. Commons located in Aliso Viejo, Calif.

Local excise tax revenue from the huge sale at a quarter of one percent for the City of Pullman was $127,625, and state excise tax revenue from the sale was $653,440.

TIME CHANGE

FOR FIRST THURSDAY?

A later start for First Thursday entertainment had been considered by the Colfax Downtown Association in the wake of the hot weather impact on the July 6 event in Colfax. Councilwoman Sarah McKnight, a member of the association, reported to the city council Monday night that the July edition of First Thursday was impacted by low turnout because of temperatures which topped 100 degrees before the start of the event.

Eric E, Moscow singer and guitar player who braved the hot temperatures, encouraged audience members to move some of the benches from in front of the stage on E. Spring Street to shady spots in the adjoining alley.

Sammy Eubanks’ blues group, of Spokane, has been scheduled for the Aug. 3 First Thursday.

Val Gregory, Colfax unified executive director, said this morning the association has decided to stick with the 5 p.m. performance start for the August event.

FOUR MONTHS

FOR METH

Michael Carter, 39, Pullman, was sentenced to four months in jail Friday for possession of methamphetamine. Carter was sentenced under terms of a plea bargain agreement which called for the state to drop its charge in another case.

Carter was listed as homeless at the time of his arrest Jan. 18 along Stadium Way in Pullman by an officer who was aware that a warrant was out for his arrest. The methamphetamine charge against him related to a pipe which was found on him in a search. The pipe had residue of the drug.

A second charge of being an accomplice in delivery of a controlled substance was dropped as part of the plea bargain. Carter was alleged to have accompanied the suspect who sold drugs to a buyer who was part of a controlled purchase operation conducted by the Quad Cities Drug Task Force.

Carter was jailed July 6 after an arrest warrant was issued because he failed to appear in court June 29 for a hearing on the accomplice charge. He has been held in the jail on a $25,000 bond set for his release.

The accomplice charge was filed against Carter May 16, and he was arrested and first released on $5,000 bond.

In addition to the four months in jail, Carter was ordered Friday to pay a $2,000 fine for the drug conviction.

STUBBORN TIMBER FIRE

Rosalia, Oakesdale and Steptoe volunteers responded at about 1:30 p.m. Friday to a fire which broke out in timber along the Squaw Canyon Road area northwest of Malden. The fire, which was located near where the road intersects with the John Wayne Trail, covered approximately four acres, according to Rosalia Fire Chief Bill Tensfeld.

The fire was believed to have started from a previous slash burn. Crews were on the scene until after dark on Friday. Tensfeld said the fire sent flames up the trunks of the trees, but volunteers were able to keep the flames from topping out by igniting the tops of the trees.

Crews have had to return to the scene Saturday and Sunday for mop-up work because the fire keeps smoldering up from the deep cover of pine needles in the timbered area.

The fire did not threaten any buildings.

Steptoe crews responded to the scene as part of Rural Fire District 11.

RIVER FIRE AT 3,100 ACRES

A state mobilization was declared to combat a fire in the Snake River canyon in Garfield County across from Nisqually John Canyon. The incident command post has been set up at the Pomeroy High School.

Aim of the firefighters will be to keep the fire contained to the grassland on the river canyon and away from crops at the top of the canyon. Winds Sunday helped control the fire, but when the winds abated the fire rose and threw flames into the flats where fire engine crews were able to halt the spread of flames.

Bulldozers Sunday were able to surround the fire except for a quarter-mile gap along a rock outcropping along the Snake River. Two helicopters are dumping loads of water on the fire and a fixed wing airplane has been used for spotting.

A lightning strike in the early morning hours Saturday is believed to be the cause of the fire. Hand crews are the key ingredient for the fire fight which is on steep terrain. Some turnover of crews was expected Tuesday.

Boaters on the river are asked to be alert for fire air crews who are drawing water out of the river to drop on the fire.

Better conditions Monday helped firefighters and mobilization crews began to be sent home Tuesday morning. Plans for replacement personnel were cancelled and the plan was to turn the fire over to local control Wednesday morning.

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